Four airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia, have drawn criticism for controversial seating policies that discriminate against male adult passengers on the basis of their gender. The companies refused to allow unaccompanied children to sit next to the grown men on their flight, leading to criticism that they regarded all men as a danger to children.
The policy resulted in protests against airlines and criticism by civil liberties and children's charities. British Airways ended its policy in August 2010 following a successful legal action by Mirko Fischer.
Video Airline seating sex discrimination controversy
British Airways
In March 2001, it was revealed that British Airways had a policy of not putting adult male passengers alongside unaccompanied children (anyone under the age of 15), even if the child's parents were elsewhere on the plane. This has led to allegations that airlines regard all men as pedophile candidates and women are not capable of such harassment. This problem was first raised when a business executive moved the chair to get closer to his two colleagues. A flight attendant then asks her to move because she then sits next to two unaccompanied children which is a violation of BA's corporate policy. The executive said he felt humiliated as a result, stating "I feel I am being ostracized and that I am accused of doing something." British Airways acknowledges that staff are under instruction to keep men away from unaccompanied children whenever possible due to the danger of male pedophiles.
The issue again became famous in 2005 following a complaint by Michael Kemp who had been ordered to exchange seats with his wife while on a GB Airways flight. The flight attendant told her that for an adult adult male sitting next to the child is a violation of the airline's child welfare regulations. This case is considered more unusual because the policy is applied even though the girl's parents are on the flight. Michele Elliott, Kidscape director of children's charities stated that the rule was "totally unreasonable." This brand makes all men as potential sex offenders. "
In 2006 politicians (and later Mayor of London) Boris Johnson, criticized the company after staff mistakenly tried to separate it from his own children on the flight. He stated that those who make or defend such a policy "fail to understand the appalling damage perpetuated by this system with the presumption of guilt across the male population only because of minor minority tendencies," which links the discrimination to the reduction of male teacher numbers and achievements which is lower in school. Like the others, Johnson also increased the policy flaw in disregarding female actors and branded airlines with policies such as "cowards" for succumbing to "crazy hysteria."
British Airways defended the policy, stating that it had been implemented as a result of requests from customers. The company claims that it "responds to the fear of sexual assault."
Court case
In January 2010 businessman Mirko Fischer of Luxembourg sued the airline for sex discrimination following an incident in which he was forced to move as a result of the policy, thus separating him from his pregnant wife. Fischer states "I was made to feel like a criminal in front of another passenger. On June 24, 2010, Mr. Fischer succeeded in winning compensation from British Airways with corporate sex discrimination in Mr. Fischer's case. BA pays Ã,Â,2,161 in fees and Ã, Â £ 750 in damages that Fischer donated to a child protection charity. In June 2010 BA said that the policy is being reviewed. In August 2010, it changed its policy and began placing unaccompanied children in a non-discriminatory manner near the cabin crew.
Termination
In February 2016, British Airways announced the suspension of "No Minor Compensation" (UM) services for children under 12 years old.
Maps Airline seating sex discrimination controversy
Qantas and Air New Zealand
In November 2005, it was revealed that Qantas and Air New Zealand had a seating policy similar to British Airways. The policy was revealed after an incident in 2004 when Mark Wolsay, who sat next to a boy on a Qantas flight in New Zealand, was asked to change a seat with a female passenger. A steward informs him that "it is an airline policy that only allows women to sit next to unaccompanied children".
Mr Wolsay, a shipping manager, said he felt the policy was "completely discriminatory", and the New Zealand Herald suggested to airlines that the implications of the policy were that it was considered male passengers to be dangerous to children ". The New Zealand Green Party declared that the policy was discriminatory and reported the matter to the Commissioner of Human Rights. While studying the policy, several protests occurred including a 22-hour tree protest by Kevin Gill's double amputee in Nelson. He stated that the policy could be the thin end of the slices with men immediately banned from sitting next to children at sporting events and on other forms of public transport. Gill also raised the issue of what would happen if the policy was based on race and ethnic minorities targeted rather than men.
The publicity given to the problem in 2005 caused others to describe their experiences openly. For example, the Bethlehem fire department Philip Price revealed that he had been forced to change seats in 2002 on an Air New Zealand flight to Christchurch.
Cameron Murphy, president of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, criticized the policy and stated that "there is no basis for the ban". He said it was wrong to assume that all adult males posed a danger to children. The policy has also been criticized for failing to take female perpetrators into consideration and ignore the example of children who commit sexual offenses. Like the case of British Airways, critics such as principal Kelvin Squire make connections between the policy and the wider issues in society such as the shortage of male teachers, with others drawing parallels with the Rosa Parks case.
Some people defended the policy, with New South Wales Commissioner for Children and Young People Gillian Calvert claiming that there were more male sex offenders than women and thus "without any other tests, that's one way in which airlines can reduce risk." children who travel alone. "He believes that the possibility of attacks is rare but it is not impossible to claim" only a few people do this kind of thing, but when they do, they reduce everyone. "Air New Zealand spokesman David Jamieson said the company lacked intent to review the policy and recognize that it has been around for years.
In August 2012, the controversy reappeared when Daniel McLuskie, a nurse, had to exchange seats with female passengers on a Qantas flight after the crew saw him sitting next to an unrelated girl traveling alone. The person feels discriminated against and humiliated in front of the flight attendants as pedophiles. A Qantas spokesman defended the policy consistent with other airlines in Australia and around the world.
Virgin Australia
In 2012, it became common knowledge that Virgin Australia has also implemented this policy. Johnny McGirr, a 33-year-old firefighter from Sydney, was told to move a chair by a Virgin flight attendant. When asked why, the stewardess cited the policy and told McGirr "You can not sit next to two unaccompanied minors." The officer then asked a female passenger, "Can you sit in this chair because he is not allowed to sit next to a minor." A public reaction on Twitter prompted Virgin Australia to review its policy that prohibits people from sitting next to unaccompanied children on flights.
See also
- Misandry
- Male rights
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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